By By JAMES COLLINS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- The longtime Niles fixture Joyce's Pantry has changed ownership and will soon be opened with a fresh new look and brand new name, Lucky 7 Food Mart.
The new business will be a convenience store very similar to Joyce's Pantry, which operated out of the location for years.
The property was bought about a month ago by Mike Hansen, who previously owned a convenience store in Chicago.
On Thursday, Hansen was at the store, located at 421 Grant St., beginning the renovations necessary to open the store back up for business.
Among the improvements that will be made are new floor tiles, a paint job and a new counter. He hopes to be open the store within the next three or four weeks.
Hansen, who has been in the convenience store business for the past 15 years, is tired of big city life and has been searching for a nice community to raise his family in for a while now.
He said he has been looking around for a store location within a 100 mile radius of Chicago and likes the small town qualities that Niles has to offer.
He approached the old owner a while back to inquire about the sale of the store, but the owner was not ready to sell it that time.
He was contacted by the Kokomo, Ind. based Ward Property Management, last month, who told him the owner was now ready to retire and wanted to sell the property. Hansen jumped at the opportunity and is excited about becoming a Niles resident and business owner.